John,

Happy New Year! I am pleased to share two important updates with you. First, we have completed our annual report, and it is now available as a flipbook on our website. The report is filled with information about the important organizing work we did in 2023. Take a few minutes over this weekend to review it, and then let us know what feels most compelling in the report. (You can reply to this email with your comments.)

Second, many of you know that we have been working since March of 2023 to launch a new affiliate in Stockton, California—Poder en Acción. Poder is a group of immigrant women, many of them mothers of children with disabilities, who are committed to moving beyond being a traditional advocacy organization to building serious power in the region. Last summer they hired Alicia Rico as their organizer. I have been their consultant through this process.

The launch will happen tomorrow at the Transit Center in nearby Manteca, California at 10:00 a.m. PT and will be followed by a celebration luncheon. There are significant opportunities in front of Poder, so please pray for their success.

And speaking of opportunities, we have many in front of us as a result of funding from JPB, The Lilly Endowment, and EPA, not to mention the opportunity before us with a critical general election in 2024. You will hear more about these in the coming weeks.

In solidarity,

Ana Garcia-Ashley, Executive Director